Despite the fact that the general construction of most building structures has remained substantially constant throughout the years, the exterior appearance giving to buildings structures is a matter of constant architectural upgrading and variation as different systems and looks become popular. One such popular exterior surface appearance to building structures, and especially, but not exclusively, in commercial or taller building structures, relates to the utilization of cladding material panels to cover the exterior surface of the building structure. Such cladding material is also sometimes used to cover interior surfaces of the building structure.
In particular, composite panels including a metallic surface have proven to be particularly useful and popular for architectural and display applications such as wall coverings and roofings. One particular, although by no means exclusive example of such cladding panel is the so-called Omega-Lite (a trade mark) panel manufactured by Laminator Inc. Such panels include a prefinished aluminum sheet bound to a polymer core having a triangular truss design. However, the core has any other suitable design in alternative cladding panels. Such aluminum panels typically provide durable, eye-catching fascias and may be used, by way of example, for corporate identity projects. The prior art has shown various examples of complex fastening and support systems used to connect exterior panels such as aluminum fascia panels together to form the exterior of commercial buildings. Indeed, because of the extensive utilization of exterior panels, a variety of different types of connecting brackets have been developed over the years to serve as means for fastening these panels together while also forming a sturdy support structure. However, most prior art fastening systems suffer from inherent problems or shortcomings.
One such problem is that most fastening systems presently known in the art tend to be overly complex in structure and are composed of many relatively small pieces susceptible to easy loss or damage during installation. Consequently, installation of the panels is not only tedious and time-consuming but also relatively expensive.
Another major drawback associated with prior art panel fastening systems relate to their lack of aesthetics. Indeed, caulking or other material positioned between panels deters the overall aesthetical appearance of the surface formed by the panels. This may prove to be a particularly strong drawback to the wider acceptance of cladding surfacing of buildings.
Still, furthermore, another drawback associated with most prior art panel attachment systems relates to the fact that prior art systems and methods require that their attachment components be premanufactured and, hence, lack versatility at the construction site. Furthermore, when most prior art systems are employed to secure panels to the exterior of a building, the panels must be installed in a specified progressive sequence along each face of the building. Hence, if a panel in the middle of a wall is incorrectly installed or subsequently damaged, all the panels from the edge of the wall back to the damaged panel must be removed in reverse order in order to replace the single damaged panel. This is not only a waste of construction time but it inherently exposes the undamaged panels to damage themselves by having to remove them once set.
A common type of cladding system utilized in the present art involves the utilization of a plurality of pegs or clips that extend typically into the upper or lower edges of the material panel. These clips or pins typically include an L- or T-shaped construction which extends into a corresponding notch defined in a corresponding edge of the cladding material panel. Such pin or clip-type cladding systems have a substantial number of attendant drawbacks associated with their use. One such drawback relates to the fact that surface contours vary from place to place on the exterior surface of the building structure. However, as is often the case when covering existing building structures, the precise positioning and orientation of adjacently positioned cladding material panels may need to be varied. Conventional pin or clip designs, if they are structured so as to accommodate securement of adjacent panels, typically do not provide any adjustability, such as for spacing between the panels and/or for spacing relative to a wall structure of the building.
Also, thermal expansion of the cladding components once installed creates may create stresses in the cladding structure that may result in a shortened life cycle. This disadvantage is aggravated by the fact that a conventional pin-type cladding material type fastener concentrates the load exerted thereby at relatively restricted locations along the surface of the panel and indeed, concentrate a break point or tension point of the material panel into the notch defined therein.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved cladding method and system for buildings. It is a general object of the present invention to provide such a cladding method system.